Exploring Perth In 12 Hours

November 05, 2013

Perth is the fourth largest city in Australia with a land area of close to 984 square kilometers. Given the vast size and the umpteen things to do in the city, it is not extremely realistic to explore Perth in under a day. But if you are here on a short visit and cannot afford more time, this article will give you a short guide on things you can do in under a day to experience the city.

First things first - Perth has much more to offer than what we cover here. There is sky diving at Jurien bay, rock climbing at Rockface, snorkeling on the sea and kayaking along the Swan river. However, these are activities that may need an entire day and is not entirely recommended if you cannot afford to spend more time. Keeping that in mind, here are some fun places to check out.

Penguin Island
The Penguin Island is located at a 45 minute drive from the main city of Perth and is reachable via a 5 minute glass bottom ferry ride from the mainland. The Penguin Island is a great place to check out penguins, sea-lions, pelicans and seagulls. For those of you who can afford more time, there is also a dolphin cruise. The rides to Penguin Island start early in the morning and is a great way to start your day. The best time to visit the island is during October when it is the nesting season for the pelicans and penguins. You can however have a great time during the other months of the year by taking part in the Penguin feed shows.

Swan Valley
The Swan Valley is located around 75 kilometers from Penguin Island. If you don’t have your own car, it is recommended that you hire a private taxi to go there. This can be done in roughly an hour or so. Once here, you can check out the various things that make Perth famous. There is this West Australian reptile park where you can look at the various reptiles from across Australia. Besides, you may also go on guided tours to factories making chocolates, dairy products, honey and wine. Depending on the time you have and what interests you, spend some relaxed time at your point of interest in Swan Valley.

Scarborough Beach
Perth is on the west coast of Australia and hence one of the best things to do during sunset is to visit one of the several beaches here. Scarborough beach, which is located just 30 minutes from Swan Valley is one of the closest from Swan Valley and could be on your itinerary next. This is an extremely clean and beautiful beach which is famous for its all-year long surfing. In addition to this, the Scarborough beach is also relatively less crowded which makes it a wonderful place to spend some peaceful time. However, if you intend to spend time in the water, beware of the strong tides here.

The Ellington Jazz Club
In the evening, you can make your way from Scarborough beach to one of the most popular clubs in Perth, the Ellington Jazz club. This is a small yet active place that offers one of the best jazz experience in the city. The club is located at a convenient 20 minute drive from the beach and makes for a great place to have your dinner and spend the evening.

Perth is a big active city that deserves much more time than just a day. But time is scarce and if you are really short of time, this article could take you through the best things this city has to offer.

Author Bio: Anand was in Perth during September and had rented a Perth airport transfer service called Priority Pickup to take him around the city on his day tour. He is an IT consultant by day and a blogger by night.